Is the State of the UK's Birds report really that accurate?

A new RSPB report has revealed that many of the UK's most familiar countryside birds are experiencing plummeting population declines, compared with the 1990s.

The report says that in some parts of the UK these birds have disappeared completely.

Called the State of the UK's Birds, the report looks at the UK's 107 most widespread and common breeding birds. Of these species, it says, 16 have declined by more than one third since 1995, including the willow tit, starling, cuckoo, lapwing, whinchat and wood warbler.

Other species the report claims are seeing big declines are the grey partridge and turtle dove which are said to have halved in numbers since 1995. It also claims that the yellow wagtail has declined by 45 per cent over the same period and that ellow wagtails have have virtually disappeared from Wales.

One needs to ask the question: are we seeing these shifts in numbers more because there is a greater participation of counters and better accuracy in reporting since pre-internet days, rather than an actual fall in bird numbers nationwide?

The report mentions the late 80's and early 90's which pre-date the internet of at the very start of the internet.

One can only think, back then, that only those employed in conservation, bird watching clubs and die-hard enthusiasts, who were involved in collating bird figures.

Fast forward to now - with the growing power and availability of online tools - and we are seeing people, young and old, in schools and in back gardens in every far-flung corner of the British Isles, reporting their bird sightings.

I can believe that surveys carried out today are as accurate as they've ever been but I do wonder if the 80's & 90's were anywhere near as accurate as they should have been?